Color is a visual perceptual property corresponding to categories called red, blue, yellow, etc. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting with light receptors in the eye having spectral sensitivities. Various properties such as light absorption, reflection, emission spectra, etc. may affect how color is perceived. In some examples, color is suspended in a medium such as, but not limited to, cream, lotion, powder, gloss, paint, stain, ink, etc. Color categories and physical specifications of color may be determined based on physical characteristics of the medium in which the color is suspended and/or the environment in which the color is situated. For instance, in some examples, color categories and physical specifications of color may be determined based on how a color that is suspended in the medium interacts with underlying color and/or physical characteristics of an application substrate.
The representation of colors presents particular problems in online settings. Color swatches can be associated with items such as cosmetics, e.g., lipstick or blush, to provide a representation of the colors of the actual items. Generally, current techniques for capturing color extract a color sample from an image of a product or an image of a product applied to a white background. For instance, current techniques extract a color sample from an image of lipstick and generate a digital color swatch based on the color sample. Or, current techniques extract a color sample from an image of lipstick applied to a white background to generate the digital color swatch. However, such color samples can be inaccurate and may misrepresent the color of the products during actual use of the products. Accordingly, color is difficult to accurately depict in online settings using current techniques.